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"Passing Fancy" is one of Ozu's 1933 films, of which he made three; it is possibly the most famous of the three, which won him a prize at the Kinema Jumpo. With all due respect to Ozu, who must be perhaps the most consistent director in the world, while "Passing Fancy" is a fine and very interesting film in his oeuvre, in terms of artistry and importance it is not the equal of say, silent classics like "I was Born, but...", "A Story of Floating Weeds" or even "Tokyo Chorus". Like what one reviewer has said before, this is a fine film, but there's a line between good and outstanding, and while "Passing Fancy" is well directed and well acted, it does not cross the line. One reason is that the romance between Harue and Jiro is never played out fully - reading the title "Passing Fancy" one might be mistaken into thinking the film is about the fleeting romance between the two; however they turn out only to be supporting cast and the true leads are Kihachi and his son. Concerning Kihachi and Tomio, the script is fairly bare, and this premise is revisited again years later by Ozu as "There was a Father". Hence "Passing Fancy" is just an engaging film rather than a truly outstanding one. One just wonders what Ozu can do with the film if he concentrates on the affair between the gruff Jiro (played by Den Obinata) and Harue (Nobuko Fushimi), and examines the dynamics of a love affair where one side is a more willing party than the other. Now that will be interesting.
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